3 Sep 2016

One game into his Liverpool career, and Joel Matip is already wowing Liverpool fans with his calmness and composure in defence, and according to Emre Can, Reds boss Jurgen Klopp was single-minded in his determination to bring the ex-Schalke star to Anfield.

"“[Klopp] said to me that he always said that when he was at another club he would buy Matip. He liked him a lot and that’s why he brought him here to Liverpool.”

Klopp certainly wasted no time in sealing the deal. Liverpool acted very quickly and basically signed Matip in February, months before the transfer window opened.

The Reds also got Matip on a free transfer, which, from any angle, is a superb deal. That said, the club is reportedly paying him a massive £112k-a-week, but with £230k-a-week freed up from the sales of Benteke and Balotelli, it's definitely manageable.

As with Mane, though, the problem is overhype. Matip has made *one* competitive appearance for Liverpool, and he is already being hyped up as the club's next Carra/Hyppia-esque defender.

Reds fans already seem enamoured by Matip, but that will quickly change if he makes one or two mistakes that lead to goals. Just ask Lovren and Moreno, who experienced massive criticism as a result of early mistakes in their Liverpool careers.

Hopefully, Matip will buck the trend for Liverpool, and turn out to be that most rare of commodities: a consistently solid defender who doesn't make mistakes.